HOTEL SPOTLIGHT: SELMAN MARRAKECH

Where Arabian horses, intricate design and Moroccan hospitality come together.

Marrakech has no shortage of lavish hotels, but Selman Marrakech has something many luxury resorts spend years trying to manufacture: a personality entirely its own. Set behind lush gardens just outside the bustle of the medina, the intimate family property was created by siblings Saida and Abdeslam Bennani Smires and shaped around Abdeslam’s passions for hospitality and Arabian thoroughbreds. The family enlisted renowned French designer Jacques Garcia to bring the vision to life, and the result is part Moroccan palace, part private estate and part equestrian retreat. The horses are anything but a clever theme, they are at the heart of this property.

Selman’s personality reveals itself the moment you enter the lobby. Dark timber rises overhead beneath enormous crystal chandeliers, while deep blue velvet sofas, burgundy and raspberry seating, carved Moroccan details and oversized floral arrangements give the room a richness that feels dramatic without becoming stuffy. There’s an almost masculine quality to the interiors: dark woods, leather, jewel-toned fabrics, patterned tile and intricately worked surfaces. It’s layered, moody and refreshingly different from the pale, neutral aesthetic that has come to dominate so many luxury hotels.

Step outside, however, and the palette changes completely. Palms, flowering gardens and terracotta architecture surround a spectacular swimming pool stretching approximately 262 feet through the property. On a Marrakech summer afternoon, we quickly discovered that lunch beside it was far more tempting than another few hours sightseeing in triple-digit heat.

Selman is relatively intimate despite its grand scale, with 30 rooms, 20 Junior Suites, five suites and five private villas. Inside the accommodations turns down the theatricality without abandoning the detail. Carved wood, Moroccan zellige, studded leather, patterned textiles and warm lighting create rooms that feel rich and cocooning. Equestrian references appear throughout, subtle reminders that the horses outside aren’t simply another resort activity.

Selman maintains its own private stables and Arabian horse breeding program, and spending time with the horses became one of our favorite experiences in Marrakech. We rode around the property before returning to the stables to feed them, spend time with them and take entirely too many photographs. They are magnificent. Seeing them up close helps explain the hotel in a way its architecture never could. Selman wasn’t built and then given an equestrian identity. The family’s passion for Arabian horses was there from the beginning. That connection appears throughout the guest experience, culminating in one of the property’s most memorable evenings.

At Assyl, dinner becomes part meal, part cultural performance. We started with an assortment of Moroccan salads before moving into a deeply flavored beef shank tanjia and vegetable couscous. The restaurant’s kitchen is staffed by an all-female culinary brigade, drawing on traditional Moroccan recipes and techniques. Meanwhile, the evening unfolds around you.

Traditional musicians perform inside the richly decorated dining room, followed by belly dancers and other entertainment. Before dessert, guests are escorted outdoors as the celebration continues beneath the Marrakech sky. Then the Arabian horses appear.

Watching them perform under the lights after we’d ridden and spent time with them earlier made the experience feel far more personal than a typical dinner show. It also tied together the various elements we’d been seeing throughout the property. At Selman, the horses don’t make occasional cameos. They are part of the story.

The Chenot Spa offers an entirely different atmosphere. At roughly 12,900 square feet, the spa includes seven treatment rooms, hydrotherapy spaces, hammams and pools, but it was the design we found most memorable. The bright sunshine disappears almost instantly. Inside, lighting becomes low, corridors quiet and intricate architectural details emerge from the shadows. The effect is dark, peaceful and completely removed from the heat outside. We settled in for a drainage massage, with an exceptionally accommodating staff that allowed the experience to feel relaxed rather than overly programmed. It was one of those rare spa visits where you stop thinking about what you’re doing next.

What ultimately distinguishes Selman isn’t its pool, its spa or even its Jacques Garcia interiors. It’s that the hotel feels personal. The family history, Moroccan craftsmanship, gardens, cuisine and Arabian horses all seem to originate from the same point of view rather than having been assembled from a checklist of five-star amenities.

You could easily use Selman as a beautiful base for exploring Marrakech. But we’d recommend doing something travelers aren’t always very good at: Stay at the hotel for a while.

Have lunch beside the pool, spend an afternoon at Chenot, meet the horses or dress up for dinner at Assyl. Marrakech will still be waiting outside the gates and Selman is one hotel worth being late for.

Photos Courtesy of Selman Marrakech